14 unique animals of the Galapagos Islands: Marine iguana

14 unique animals of the Galapagos Islands

Marine iguana

This incredibly unusual species of iguana is the only extant (or still existing) marine lizard on Earth. It likely evolved its marine lifestyle because of the sparsity of nutritious vegetation on land, opting instead for seaweed. To filter out the excess salt that it consumes, this iguana has specialized nasal glands that filter the salt and expel it from the nostrils.